Translation Request French to English Please
Will dated 1734 written in French by Madelaine M Rembert. The 1st page and top portion of the 2nd page. I am unable to make parts of this will any clearer. I would appreciate any attempt to translate this into English. Thanks so much for the help.
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I want to thank everyone who has looked at the above will for Madalaine mnu, Michau?, Rembert. I'll try to give some detail and what I'm hoping to discover. I recently came across some research correcting some issues of conflict and adding this person Madalaine and her daughter Madalaine (Michau or Rembert). Nothing is ever short and easy. While the corrections are helpful, I believe some are confused and try to force a fix.
Original Research: 2 Brothers: Abraham and Pierre Michau, French Huguenots, immigrated from England to Carolina Colony abt 1680. Prior to leaving England, Pierre married Sarah, a widow with 2 children, there were no known children with this marriage; Pierre died abt 1703, no other info for Sarah. Abraham Michau married Lydia Jaudon, they had several children including Abraham II and Charlotte, he died abt 1705 and Lydia 2nd married Noah Sierre Jr, they had several children including Lydia and Noah Sierre 3rd. (the Wills of both Noah Jr and Noah 3rd confirm Lydia Jaudon, as well as the sister Lydia Sierre and half siblings Abraham II and Charlotte Michau). There is conflict: Abraham II is said to have married Charlotte Michau, after her death, 2nd married Lydia Sierre... the conflict is obvious... Abraham is their brother... there is a missing Abraham Michau, he is my direct ancestor. Enter the corrections:
1: Pierre and Sarah had a son Abraham Michau Sr born 1700, he married Charlotte Rembert, dau of Andre Rembert
2: Lydia Jaudon, Michau died prior to Abraham Michau I and he 2nd married Madalaine mnu and had dau Madalaine Michau (jr); after Abraham died, Madalaine 2nd married Andre Rembert. Madalaine is said to have died within a few months after their marriage; her Will states Andre signed a document stating Madalaine could keep her inheritance she brings into the marriage to do with as she pleases: she mentions Charlotte Michau, her children Abraham, Pierre and Julienne, children of Abraham Michau; and Madalaine (Jr), her children Nicholas and Alfred, children of Alfred LeNud dec'd. There isn't a transcription/translation of Madalaine's will included with the writeup of corrections.
Andre Rembert died a few years later and left a 4 page Will in French. I have not seen an actual transcription, but I've seen several writeups by others and several corrections regarding other items... Andre specifically mentions his deceased daughter Charlotte Michau and her 3 children Abraham, Pierre and Julienne, children of Abraham Michau, and dau Madalaine now married to DeBoise and her children; there is no mention of the LeNud children. All research shows Charlotte and Madalaine are his 2 youngest children with his 1st wife Ann.
I agree that Pierre Michau must have had a son named Abraham Sr, he's my missing direct ancestor, but he would have to be the one who married Charlotte Michau, dau of Lydia Jaudon and Abraham I, and after Charlotte died, he 2nd married Lydia Sierre (my direct ancestor), dau of Lydia Jaudon and Noah Sierre Jr. Charlotte Rembert, dau of Andre Rembert, married Abraham Michau II, they had the 3 children Abraham III, Pierre and Julienne. After Charlotte's death, Abraham married Lydia June (my direct ancestor).
The Delima: Madalaine mnu: If Madelaine was only married to Andre a few months, why didn't she leave all of her estate to her daughter Madalaine LeNud? I believe Andre's 1st wife is the one who died much earlier than the original research suggest and Madalaine was actually the mother of both Charlotte and Madalaine, married much longer than a few months. I realize that I haven't seen an actual transcription of Andre's will, but I think when you correct Charlotte Rembert and Lydia June were the wives of Abraham Michau I and that his 2 sisters married his cousin Abraham Michau Sr, that takes away the conflict of sisters marrying their brother... the author of the corrections must not have had the marriage info or the Wills of Noah Sierre Jr and 3rd to know that Lydia Jaudon could not have died prior to Abraham Michau I. I believe It was Andre's wife that died much earlier, most likely the wealth Madalaine brought into the marriage with Andre was her inheritance from her parent or sibling and not from a prior marriage. I still have an issue regarding Madalaine Jr and her 2 LeNud children: If Andre's Will actually does states Now married to DeBoise, it seems to me to reflect a prior marriage and the 2 LeNud children may have died prior to Andre's will since he did not mention them, or they were omitted from the writeup. I found a website that has all of the mag's Trans of the Huguenot Society but there isn't an overall index for names and it's slow going having to look at each one.
My dna test is with ancestry and my thrulines looked pretty messed up. I knew my direct lines had issues but when I made the corrections that fixed my lineage to both Lydia Sierre and Lydia June, my thrulines were imediately fixed. I'm unable to see if adding Madalaine as the mother of Charlotte and Madalaine Rembert clears up issues in the dna. I do realize that the will is hard to read, seems extremely long, even if unable to translate most of it, any information will be greatly appreciated!
Linda
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As I have looked at it, I have wondered if you might be better off paying a professional to do a complete translation. There are technical terms that I am unsure of the meaning, and of course writing that is not always clear. I worry that the meaning of words in 1734 might be very different than in our current language. Having said that, here are a few excerpts that I see that may be helpful.
The first line is written in English: The last will and testament of Madelaine Rembert.
Line 6 I read, “ de ma Dernier Volonté en La Forme » and then I am unsure of the rest of the words in that line. But ma Dernier Volonté would be my last will.
The next line is very confusing to me, but I read, “par quatre femme sous consert de marriage puisse tester ou faire son Testament ?? ??moins” by four women under ? of marriage can testify or make testament of ???.
Next 3 lines, “par un certain Ecrit fait avant mon marriage portent Date le quatorzieme jour du mois de Septembre en l’an do Notre Seiigneur Dixsept Cents Trente Trois par lequel Anore Rembert, Mon present Espous ma ligne et ?? de Son Seau ? et ma donne ? pouvoir » I would translate as follows : By a certain writing made before my marriage carrying the date of the 14th day of the month of September, in the year of our Lord 1733 by which Anore Rembert, my current husband – here there are legal terms that I am uncertain of, but would appear to me to suggest that she has some power (pouvoir) as a result of this marrage.
The next few lines I am uncertain of, but my best guess is that purpose of this preamble up to this point is to demonstrate why she has power to distribute certain goods.
Line 13, she says, first of all, I commend my soul to God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Line 14 – Now we are talking about her earthly possessions
Line 15/16 – First of all she gives to her two grandsons, Abraham and Pierre Micheau the sum of 500 pounds of silver.
Line 16/17 Plus I give (or in addition I give) to Julienne Micheau, my grand daughter, the sum of 500 pounds of silver. And then there is a line about how/when it should be paid.
At the beginning of line 19 in parentheses it says (Abraham Micheau their Father) and then (After my deces)
From here, someone should probably pick through the legal terminology to be certain of all of the relationships.
I see a reference to Nicolas Le Nied, their Father. And later to my daughter Madelaine Le Nied
A little further down, it looks like her daughter Madelaine Le Nied gets all of her furniture.
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Thanks so much for your effort. I was hoping you'd tell me the marriage contract date was much earlier, (but that would have made things too easy!), however, it does confirm that Madalaine was only married to Andre for about 3yrs, and also confirms that Charlotte Michau and Madalaine LeNud were her daughters. I'll have to look at Andre's Will again and try to determine if he really had a dau Charlotte that also named her children the same names or if the person creating the writeups, unaware of Madalaine, didn't realize that Charlotte was actually a step daughter. Madalaine LeNud and Madalaine DeBoise most likely were not the same person. I don't think it helps me determine who Madalaine's first husband was... It is possible that there were 2 women named Lydia Jaudon, 1st cousins, and each one married 1st cousins, both named Abraham Michau. They named their children the same names and they married their 1st cousins constantly.
You have been a bigger help than you might think!
Linda
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